Process for separating gas and vapor mixtures



- Jan 15, 1924.

M. uss

PROCESS FOR SEPARATING GAS AND VAPOR MIXTURES Filed March 21 1923 2:afmrcaa/ Z z 64; J/ream 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M.-Nuss v PROCESS FORSEPARATING GAS AND VAPOR MIXTURES Filed March 21 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Jan. 15, 1924..

MAX 'NUss, or HooHsT-oN-THn-MAIm' GERMANY, ASSIGNORITO FARBWERKE VORM.

lan erns Lucius & BR'U'NING, or nocrrs'r-on-mmn, GERMANY, A CORPORATIONOF GERMANY.

PROCESS I OR SEPARATING GAS AND VlOR MIXTURES.

Application nee March 21, 192a. Serial No. 626,631.

To all whom it may} concern Be it known that I, MAX Nuss, a citizen ofGermany, residing at A Hochst-on-the- Main, Germany, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements-in a Process for Separating Gas andVapor Mixtures, of whichthe following is a specification.

The separation of gasand vapor mixtures into their components or intomixtures of certain of their components can be effected by theabsorption of such gasand vapor mixtures, or parts of them, by means ofporous .(active) charcoal: A part of the mixture may, for instance, beallowed to pass over the charcoal unabsorbed or the whole of the mixturemay'be absorbed on along layer of charcoal, on which the variouscomponents are distributed according to the degree of their capacity ofbeing absorbed, whereupon certain selected portions of the absorbinglayer may be withdrawnfrom the absorbing operation and that part of themixture which has been absorbed therein may be liberated therefrom byexpelling or dissolVing it or by'any other means.

In order to secure a'reliable effect and one whichis effective for asubstantial period of time and to avoid a too frequent withdrawal ofparts of the charcoal for the regeneration thereof and the recovery ofthe absorbed gas the above described processes require large andextensive layers of charcoal through which the mixture must pass, whichinvolves of course the necessity of overcoming rela- 35. tively' strongresistances.

Now we have found that the separation may be carried out in a much moreadvantageous manner-by using instead of a thick layer of charcoal athinner one, which is "0 moved transversely through the stream of themixture or over which the stream of the mixture to be separated ispassed. During this operation it is, as a rule, preferable to arrangethec-harcoal in a continuous layer 46 and to expel the absorbed materialfrom it on its further course until it is reintroduced into the streamof the mixture or to expel the absorbed material from the charcoal afterthe passage of the stream, which may be done in any manner; and thelayer may, if 1 gequired, also be cooled or subjected to any hertreatment in order to restore it again to the highestdegree of absorbingcapacity. By regulating" the relation of the rapidity of movement of thecharcoal layer or of the change of direction of the passage of the gasand vapor stream to the rapidity of passage of the gas mixture one mayselectively absorb upon the charcoal either that part of the mixturewhich is most easily absorbed or that part which comes next as regardsabsorbability and so 0 here may also be connected in series several ofsuch continuously working absorp tion bands either by arranging themconcentrically or by letting them follow each other independently. Thusit is possible to separate the components of the mixture from each otherwith .the utmost exactness by regulating the rapidity of movement of thevarious absorption bands according to the absorption conditions. Thecomponents of the mixture may then be continuously isolated in anysuitable manner from the several bands.

Instead of regulating the rate of movement of the bands, orsimultaneously therewith, there may also be usedcharcoal of differentabsorbing capacity, in which case as a rule the mixture is firstcontacted with a charcoal of an inferior absorbing capac j ity-such forinstance as ordinary wood charcoal-and in the further course of the'process with charcoal of ever increasing ab sorbing capacity. In certaincases it may also be advantageous to intercalate between successivetreatments with highly-active charcoal a treatment with charcoal of aweaker absorbing activity, for instance for absorbing components of themixture which are perhaps present only in a small quantity or of littlevalue. The charcoal of inferior activity placed before or between thebands of highly activecharcoal need not be used in a movable layer.

By using first .charcoal of ity, which, as a rule, is much cheaper thanthe chemically activated charcoal-such as for instance ordinary woodcharcoalit is possible to realize a considerable economy and aconservation of the activity of the activated charcoal which can thenwork with greater eificacy, particularly as regards the purity of themain components of the mixture separated.

The separation of the components of a mixture by means of a continuousband of absorbent material can also be eifectuated inferior activ--verse order of their capacity of being ab-' sorbed. This operation canbe carried out either by conductin separate streams of the expellingagent t irough the band or by introducing a sin le stream of theexpelling agent and subdividing it at the outlet into several portions.

The new process makes it possible to separate mixtures of continuousmanner w ile utilizing the continuously regenerated highestabsorptioncapacity of the charcoal, and at the same time avoiding strongresistances and using very small quantities of charcoal. The fact thatthe process requires only a very small space is of special importance.Moreover the consumption of the discharging'or expelling agent, forinstance steam, is very small in consequence of the only thin layer ofcharcoal acted upon.

In the accompanyin drawing the invention is schematically illustratedin-seve-ral different forms.

Fig. 1 illustrates the movement of a band of charcoahl in a thin layerthrough the gas stream 2. i

Fig. 2 illustrates the movement of the gas stream 3 with its reception.chamber 7, as well as the stream of discharging agent i With itsreception chamber 6, along the charcoal band 5. t

Fig. 3. Here the charcoal is arranged as an endless band 8 which is ledthrough the gas stream 9. The charcoal can be regenerated and cooled inits circuit.

Fig. 4. The gas stream 12 with the reception chamber 11, and the streamof discharging agent 13 with the reception. chan1- her 10 are led alongthe fixed end ess charcoal band 14 in which ofrourse the parts arerelatively stationary.

Fig. 5.' The endless charcoal bands 15, 16, and 17 are arrangedconcentrically and move thronghithe as stream 18 at a rate correspondingto the capacity of the gas constituents of being absorbed,

The charcoal bands may also he sideby side or follow each other invarious single apparatus and be treated cllicacio-usly on their way.

Fig. 6 serves as an example of another mode of carrying out theinvention. The endless charcoal band 21 passes through the gas stream19, 24, 20, and on its way takes up in strata the single gasconumncnts-e. g. 22.

23, and 25according to the proportion of" absorption, thickness andnumber of the layers and the rate of movement of the chargases andvapors in a.

coal band. Then the charcoal band passes the discharging agent inlets3'1, 30, and 29. By means of the entering discharging agent there isexpellcd first the gas component which has been loaded. last upon thecharcoal band, then the nextete. and separately collected in thereception chambers 28, 27, and 26. 'lhedischarged active charcoal iscooled in its further course by the purified gas and the process beginsagain.

As another feature of this'proccss may be mentioned the use of packedcharcoal, in the form of traveling bands. which by means of suitablyarranged mechanism are conducted through the stream of the mixture ofgases or vapors-to beabsorbed or separated, thus allowing the gas orvapor to take essentially the shortest path through the charcoal.

Claims- 1. In the process for the separation of gas and vapor mixturesby absorption by means of charcoal, the. ste) which consists inarranging the charcoa in a band in which the parts are relativelystationary and moving said band through a stream of the mixture to beseparated.

2. In the process for the separation of gas and vapor mixtures byabsorption by means of charcoal, the step which consists in conducting astream "of the mixture to be separated successively through separateportions of a bandof charcoal in which the parts a re relativelystationary.

3. In the process for the separation of gas and vapor mixtures byabsorption by means of charcoal, the step which consists in successivelyand repeatedly subjecting separate portions of an endless band carry.-ing charcoal to a stream of a mixture to be separated and to treatmentFor the recovery of the absorbed substances and the regeneration of thecharcoal.

4. In the process for the separation of gas and vapor mixtures byabsorption by means of chm-coal, the step which consists in collectingcharcoal in a plurality of moving bands in which the parts arerelatively stationary, and passing the mixture to be separated throughsaid bands.

5. In the process for the separation of gas and vapor mixtures byabsorption by means of charcoal tlie step which consists in passing a.stream of the mixture to be separated through a band of charcoal inwhich the parts are relatively stationary and causing a relativemovement of the stream and ol. the band at such a rate as to obtain thedesired distribution of the absorbed components on said band.

(i. In the process for the separation of gas and vapor mixtures byabsorption by means of charcoal, the step which consists in passing aplurality of hands of charcoal at predetermined different rates of speedin parseparated.

7. The step in the process of separating gas and vapor mixtures asdefined 5 6 in which in claim charcoal bands containing charcoal ofdifferent absorbing activity are employed.

8. In the process for the separation of gas and vapor mixtures byabsorption by means In of charcoal, the steps which consist in passing astream of the mixture to be separated through a moving band of charcoathereby loading the components of said mixture upon said band andfractionally discharging said components from said 15 band.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

MAX N USS. Witnesses:

